MELAKA, Nov 7 — Five Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidates from Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) who will be contesting in the Melaka state election on Nov 20 have signed their statutory declarations (SD), Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau Hoe Chai said.

They are B. Dhanesh, who will be contesting the Asahan state seat; Michael Gan Peng Lam (Ayer Keroh); Clarice Chan Ming Wang (Banda Hilir), Fong Khai Ling (Kota Laksamana) and Patrick Ng Chin Kae (Kesidang), he said, adding that the party was asking all its candidates to sign SDs to ensure the candidates would remain with the party should they win.

"We are taking this action to earn the public’s confidence and trust, especially voters in areas Gerakan is contesting in,” he said during a hybrid media conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

The Election Commission (EC) has set Nov 20 as the polling day for the Melaka state election, and Nov 8 as nomination day. Early voting will take place on Nov 16.

The state election has been called following the dissolution of the state legislative assembly on Oct 4 after four assemblymen, Datuk Seri Idris Haron (BN-Sungai Udang), Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (BN-Pantai Kundor), Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Independent-Pengkalan Batu) and Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad (Bersatu-Telok Mas), withdrew their support for Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali. — Bernama